Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-112121 discloses an electric vehicle provided with a navigation system connected to traveling control means to take in map information of the navigation system, characterized in that the traveling control means is additionally provided with a function to control traveling with the vehicle's traveling condition set in one of a normal traveling mode and an economical traveling mode.
This traveling control means determines from the map information received from the navigation system and electric power available from a main power supply for the electric vehicle whether the vehicle can reach an input destination, and if it is difficult for the vehicle to reach the destination, the traveling control means exerts control to switch the vehicle's traveling condition from the normal traveling mode to the economical traveling mode.
In recent years, a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor mounted therein as a drive device is gaining attention as an ecologically friendly vehicle. Such a hybrid vehicle may also be controlled, with the engine and the motor used together, to switch between an HV traveling mode and an EV traveling mode as done between the normal traveling mode and the economical traveling mode.
As technology advances, hybrid vehicles are improved in mileage. On the other hand, it is also preferable that drivers should also be conscious of better fuel economy in traveling. To raise drivers' awareness of better fuel economy in traveling, it is desirable to also enable drivers to recognize switching of traveling modes of hybrid vehicles.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-112121 discloses that when the normal traveling mode is switched to the economical traveling mode a monitor displays an indication accordingly. However, how the vehicle's traveling mode will subsequently be changed, i.e., how it is switched in future, cannot be obtained by the driver.